Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Loved Under the Cerulean Sea and so jumped at this. Didn’t realize it was republish of an older book at first. This was entertaining, but nowhere near as enjoyable as Cerulean. It uses a lot of 80s and 90s SciFi tropes - on the run with a mysterious child type stuff. Sort of a thriller, sort of a romance. An odd book, but I generally liked it. Moved a little too slow in places, and was a bit predictable at parts, but diverting enough. Not sorry I read it, but can’t go more than 3 stars. Oh, one note, unlike Cerulean, this book definitely has some explicit scenes and language - not a lot of them, but if that kind of stuff bothers you and you’re expecting the PG nature of Cerulean, this isn’t it.

honestly, yeah it's definitely "weird."
but it a good way. it's sweet and fun and there's a few well-done action sequences that are really quite engaging.

"You have to be nice when you can because you don't when it could mean everything to someone"
Nate Cartwright has lost his family and his job. He decides to go to the family cabin to regroup. This leads his to love and to understanding just what makes someone human. I read this book in one day because I became invested in the characters and what would happen. What kept this from being a 5-star is simply a few scenes that seemed repetitive, and I wanted the action to continue.

I was completely unaware this was a re-publication of an earlier work of TJ Klune's until I got toward the middle of the book, which makes sense because his writing certainly felt quite a bit different from his newer works (House in the Cerulean Sea, Whispering Door). That being said, the general frame of the book is just about as you'd expect if you have read anything else written by him, which is not a bad thing. Predictability can be quite reassuring, especially if you're seeking out similar titles. Klune does a wonderful job writing his characters and engaging storylines; friendship, family, loss, queer identity. If you've enjoyed the author's other works, you will enjoy this one.

One thing about tj klune is he’s gonna make a story with the found family trope. And one thing about me is I’m gonna eat that ish up!!! I love everything he writes and I wish the world was as sweet as he makes the pockets in his stories.

I'm not generally a fan of “sappy” books, but I will read anything TJ Klune writes without hesitation … and probably even get a little teary-eyed at the end. If you've read his other novels, you likely have a pretty good idea of the basic outline of this one. There's a gay guy. And another gay guy. And a kid. And there's a whole “found family” thing going on. And there's humor. And bacon. Okay, so maybe that last one is a new addition to Klune's repertoire, I don't remember.

This entire story focuses on one very odd young girl named Artemis Darth Vader and her gruff “bodyguard” Alex. There's also Nate, a disgraced journalist who wants nothing more than to escape from the world for a while. And then they meet up and become a family and everything gets sappy and romantic and heartwarming and I'm not crying, you're crying. I'm not spoiling anything here … I mean, it's a Klune novel, you know it's going to happen sooner or later. But it's also so much more than just sap – there's also secret government agencies and cults and action and conspiracy theorists and comets and maybe even a crashed helicopter or two (or three). It's all fantastically wonderful and sad and hopeful and you should probably read it as soon as possible.

My overall rating: 4.5 stars, rounded up.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Tor Books for providing me with a copy of this book to review. Its expected (re)publication date is February 4, 2025.

Another fantastic T.J. Klune book. Artemis Darth Vader is one of his best characters and there was so much great action and witty dialogue in the story.

I was unsure as I started this read. I am a huge fan of House in the Cerulean Sea. At first the writing style did not appeal to me. It seemed less polished. But as I continued on I became very attached to Nate, Alex, and of course Artemis Darth Vader.

This is such a beautiful story of love, acceptance and the power of making your own family.

Thank you Net Galley and Tor Publishing for the advance ebook in exchange for my honest review.

What a wild ride. The author's note at the end talks about how weird this book is, and he is NOT lying. I did love the Stranger Things vibes, and Artemis is a dope character. However, the romance was very odd to me, and a lot of the decisions the characters made were SO stupid and not in a fun way.

Finally, I found the sex scene very odd and offputting. However, I did FLY through this book, so overall 4 stars.

It is no secret that I love TJ Klune, and while this is a bit different than his more recent stuff (this is a re-release/repackage) I still loved it just as much as anything else.

I was given an advanced reader's copy via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own

This book is about found family, loss, and the redemptive power of love with a little bit of being on the run, analysis of what it means to be human, and otherworldly beings thrown in. Oh, a bit of mm romance too. It is utterly delightful and I cannot recommend it more.

I loved this book and timing of rerelease is perfect for todays climate. I love Artemis’ character. I found her sweet and so funny in a really smart way. Nate and Alex relationship could have used more development. I found this book a lovely ride though would def appreciate more 90s nostalgia as a millennial 🙂. Id read this mans grocery list but as someone who represents LGBTQIA+ in mental health, I am grateful TJ exists to represent our community, connection, adaptability, growth and creativity in such a quirky, thoughtful and fun way!

I have really loved every book that Klune has written thus far and this one is no exception. It is very different from his better known works though this one came first. This is an update of a book with the same name that he published in 2018. That said, if you're a fan of Klune you will also like this, but if this is your FIRST book by him I might do one of the others first and then come back to this one!

REVIEW: The Bones Beneath My Skin ⭐⭐⭐⭐

"You think yourself alone. You think yourself lost. We wanted to show you there was so much more than this place. We didn't come to hurt you. We didn't come to save you. Only you can do that. We came to be your friend. To make you understand that, in the end, you are never alone."― T.J. Klune

T.J. Klune is an author I will always read; he wrote one of my favorite books, The House in the Cerulean Sea. I have read many of his books, so I was surprised to see that this one was previously self-published and is now being re-released.

T.J. Klune is known for his magic, sci-fi, adventures, fantasy, romance, and LGBTQ+ representation, which is definitely shown through The Bones Beneath My Skin. I won't mention too much about the plot because I don't want to spoil the twists, but this was a feel-good story. Another thing aboutT.J. Klune's writing is that he is great at making characters with unique backstories and strong connections with the other characters. I love a good found-family story with connections that make you feel warm and fuzzy, and The Bones Beneath My Skin has that. Also, this story brings some spice as well, which is never a bad thing. I was captivated quickly by the story and just wanted to know more. Plus, the epilogue brought everything together so well.

While there was some repetition and rushed parts at times, I enjoyed The Bones Beneath My Skin. I will always be a massive fan of T.J. Klune!

Thank you, Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group | Tor Books, for the free advanced copy for my honest review!

This is a reprint/repackage of a self-published book before Klune was picked up by Tor. While I didn't love it quite as much as I've loved his other stuff, you can see the bones of what would become his common themes and stories. Beautiful characters, weird stuff happening, a relatively satisfying journey.

Knocking off a star because I thought that, while the romance was sweet, I didn't necessarily feel it building up to a place where I believed it other than because they were together. Also, I thought the ending was a little unsatisfying and I had questions that were unresolved.

Overall, a solid recommendation for a fan, though I'd start a new reader with Cerulean Sea or Puppets.

Artemis Darth Vader - best described as a mix of Seven and well…. If I tell you it may ruin any surprise. There is a lot going on this rerelease of T.J.Klune’s originally self-published novel. The Bones Beneath My Skin is a story of relationships, family, forgiveness, trauma and love. Oh and in between there is an alien, fugitives bei ng accused of “kidnapping”, a big government secret, a military attack, and a deadly cult. It was “weird” (T.J. Klune used that word to describe) and funny and creepy and sad and I could not stop reading it!

Spoiler: There is one sex scene in the book, more graphic than I expected. I understand why T.J. Klune included it but I do not think it necessarily contributed to the overall story. I note this as an FYI for school librarians (who may have purchased The House in the Cerulean Sea like I did) so they can make the best decision for their collection and patrons.

It's interesting to read something that an author published previously and see how their writing style and characterization have grown. Found family, a love story, trauma, grief, and forming new relationships are themes present throughout this work, with a setting slightly in the past (1995, so technology in this book is much less present, at one point I was wondering why Nate wasn't having WiFi set up at the cabin, before realizing that was not a thing/prevalent yet). I would recommend this for fans of reflective and life-affirming authors like Matt Haig, Shelby Van Pelt, Fredrik Backman, and Travis Baldree. There are very few explicit sex scenes, but I do want to flag that they are present for anyone considering adding this to a classroom (as opposed to more innuendos and closed-door romance found in Under the Whispering Door and The House in the Cerulean Sea).

The Bones Beneath My Skin by TJ Klune

Thank you to Tor Books and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published on February 4th, 2025

Aliens (non traditional, portrayed with depth), conspiracy theories, cults, and secret government facilities populate this action packed speculative fiction story with a lovely (and at times quite steamy) gay romance slowly percolating through. Beautifully woven themes of loneliness, love, grief and recovery suffuse the narrative. This is my third Klune book — each was completely different from the others, and all were creative in the way I found old style sci-fi to be, yet firmly rooted in the character development and personal experience that draws me to fiction. He has a very natural writing style — I get hooked at the very beginning and completely forget that I’m reading a book. More like I’m sitting in a comfy room listening to a storyteller bind me with sparkly spells.

In his own words, Klune is “gay as balls” and this is clearly reflected in the books he writes. I’ve never been drawn to specifically LGBQ+ fiction as it isn’t something I’m drawn to, but I like his matter-of-fact fiction where characters are individuals that continue personal development throughout the story, and increase my exposure to human experience significantly. Some of the (quite detailed) sex scenes took me a bit by surprise but I definitely learned a lot! As a complete aside, I did enjoy the little digs at veganism. I often feel surrounded by vegans, and it’s refreshing to hear someone unashamedly express a love for bacon and the superiority of meat over a lentil stew. :-)

My only complaint is about the pace — I found the beginning a little too slow. It felt like the characters were repeating, rather than developing. Once I hit the 35% mark, the pace stepped up to something that worked a lot better for me. In other words, skim if you have to to get to where things start really moving.

I loved the sci-fi aspect of the book. Although at times it felt similar to other books and tv shows, it's really the characters that make the story so enjoyable. I adored Artemis Darth Vader and her fresh outlook on the world, and the relationship between Alex, Nate and Art was beautifully written.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley for the Arc!

This was a DNF for me! It felt way out of klune's normal style of writing for me, and it seems like a re publication of an older book which makes sense. What I was expecting and what I got was way too different for me to grapple with. May try again in the future